KIEV, June 5 (RIA Novosti) - A lioness in Kiev Zoo fatally mauled a visitor Sunday, Ukraine's Interior Ministry said.
The lioness attacked the 45-year-old Ukrainian when he descended into her cage on a rope for reasons that as of yet remain unknown.
Ministry pathologists said the intruder died instantly after the enraged beast clenched her teeth over his throat.
Kiev Zoo, one of the biggest in the former Soviet Union, is home to more than 2,000 representatives of the world's wildlife and receives about 280,000 visitors every year.